Tuesday, 5 January 2016
The Soul Whisperer by J.M Harrison
Release Date: 26th February 2016
Publisher: Roundfire
Publisher: Roundfire
Genres: Mystery / historical
Brook Cottage
Books is thrilled to welcome JM Harrison to the blog with a great author
interview and guest post!
Do you write
under your real name or is this a pen name you use?
No, it’s my real name. At the time of the
publication of my first book WE ARE ALL ONE, there were a couple of other
Jonathan Harrison’s out there, so I chose to use my initials. My full name is
Jonathan Michael Harrison.
Where are you
from?
I’m from West Sussex in England, UK - but I spent
fifteen years living in rural France before returning to the UK in 2010.
Did you write
as a child?
Yes, poetry and prayers! In my mid-teens I began to
write songs too.
What was the
first thing you ever had published?
It was an article about human consciousness and it
was published in 2001.
Do you have a
writing routine?
Just to write as much as I can when I can. I use
the rituals to get me focused.
Do you have
any writing rituals?
Yes - coffee, music, relax - look out the window
and get stuck in…
Do you have a
current work in progress?
Well apart from the PR for the two new books in Jan
& Feb 2016 - and I’m also working on an autobiographical series
entitled THE MYSTIC CHRONICLES.
Where did the
idea for your book come from?
See guest post below.
Who was the
first person you gave the book to to read?
A publisher, who said enough to convince me I had
an interesting storyline, and that I needed to write it better!
Do you have any advice for budding authors?
Yes, from my blog:
1. Never give up - there are times when you want to give up
or stop, but keep going.
2. Be yourself - tell the story in your own words. It's the
story and characters (not your IQ) that readers are interested in.
3. Imagine and create with freedom - boundaries are often
other people's concepts of what should be.
4. Don't copy another author's style - be true to who you
are.
5. Keep it simple - over complicated plots and texts only
disconnect the reader.
6. Read it aloud to yourself once finished, and re-write as
necessary - recognize the rhythm of your prose.
7. Edit, edit and edit. When you've done that... edit. Most
people tend to do the opposite.
8. Less is better, and more interesting - and keeps the
reader engaged in your story.
9. Safeguard your manuscript on a stick and / or send by
email - just sensible advice.
10. If you LOVE what you do, others will too.
Author
links – www.AuthorJMHarrison.com
YouTube
trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8l87IQ-PDU
TV
interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyePJRTACKI
AMAZON
Author page: http://www.amazon.com/J.-M.-Harrison/e/B0032UGCFM
HOW THE SOUL
WHISPERER CAME ABOUT...
by J.M. Harrison
At the
end of September 2013 I managed to take two weeks away from the bedlam of work.
I needed a rest, and France was the ideal place to reinvigorate my spirit and
clear my head. The first week was spent in a small house in the Montagne Noire
of the Tarn, cleaning, gardening and going about general D.I.Y repairs. Each
day was a bit cold and grey and I have to admit, a touch depressing. After all,
when you’re living in England, the last thing you want when you’re on holiday
is rain! Was this damp outlook going to be the extent of my much needed break
from running one of the largest retreat centres in the UK?
By the
end of the week, I moved out of the mountains, and into the sunnier climes of
the Languedoc-Roussillon, staying at a lovely little 'gite' (cottage) hidden
away in the heart of this beautiful countryside. It turned out to be the most
amazing week of my life. The area of the French department of the Hérault is
covered in stunning steep rock formations, crystalline rivers and the sweet
scent of wild herbs carried on the warm breeze is never far away. It was so
deliciously warm and dry.
As
I unwound and relaxed, I was overcome by a sense of needing to write, which was
in no way planned, and most unexpected. But I followed the deep sense,
purchasing a decent pen and a couple of note books. I sat on the picnic bench
of the sunny terrace and began to scribble, and within a couple of days, I’d
filled the two notebooks. I brought all the local places into the story, and
everything that happened became part of the spiritual fantasy I was writing.
Journeys and visits became part of that story, as did people and places,
fitting together like a real life puzzle.
The
stunning setting of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert became the ideal backdrop. A truly
magical village, a charming sun-kissed square filled with ancient houses made
of golden amber stone. The village is surrounded by tall, overhanging rock
faces, as if they’re protecting its secret history. The impressive but somewhat
daunting Abbey, the ‘Devils’ bridge standing tall over the gorge, the dramatic
caves of Clamouse… I was entranced. A trip to Limoux enabled me to gather
French names from the cemetery, and on the side of the road there, I sang an
intuited chant, recording it with my Dictaphone… it all seemed to be part of
the blossoming story.
I
returned to the UK feeling fulfilled, and went back to work as usual. A few
months later, an unexpected debacle at work led to many changes, including my
departure. It was a difficult few months for all concerned. In the depths of
not knowing what to do, I returned to my book. I started transcribing the notes
from the two exercise books onto the laptop. Once I’d written the storyline, I
contacted a few people, including a mainstream publisher. Each person responded
positively, which gave me the encouragement I needed to spend the next 9 months
working solidly on the manuscript.
Following
the perfume of the Soul, I found my literary agent / manager to help with the
novel and collaborated with a Grammy Award Winning producer (yes, the chants on
the Dictaphone!) and now a talented young script writer has also joined the
project.
Now,
with a completed novel 'The Soul Whisperer' I am doing the work that I LOVE.
Through words and music, I feel I am expressing the truth of who I am - and I
can actually feel the resonance of that in my being. It's like the way ahead is
flowing and clear, and that brings peace and fulfilment. It's as if that time
in France guided me towards the clarity of my soul.
I
think the most any one of us can do to grow is to find and follow what we LOVE,
for in doing so we converge with the intelligence of the Soul. The true nature
of the Soul works for the totality. So in following Soulness (the consciousness
of the Soul), we all contribute uniquely, but benefit the individual and the
whole.
I
sincerely hope that anyone who reads this book receives fun, thrills and
something ‘more’ for them individually, for that is the intention and the goal.
JH.
Book
Blurb
Following personal
tragedies and spiralling financial problems, Londoners Alex and Sara are
desperate to find ways to rediscover their zest for life. A free holiday
provides the perfect opportunity for a second chance, but not long after
arriving in France they discover that all is not what it seems... A series of
shocking revelations challenge their understanding of humanity, as they are
propelled into a dangerous world governed by a ruthless occult society. Magical
relics and extra-terrestrial objects promise to unlock incredible secrets, but
what extremes will people go to in order to attain them? In a modern-day
spiritual quest, Alex and Sara will be forced to take control of their destiny,
facing their own demons along the way as time counts down, for them and the
entire human race…
Author
bio
Born in southern England in the mid
60's, by the early 1980's Jonathan's natural creativity was expressed through
contemporary singing and song writing. In 1987 he underwent an
interesting short stint as the lead singer of the popular band Frankie Goes
To Hollywood following the departure of vocalist Holly Johnson. By the end
of his music career in 1990 he was awarded a gold disc for his lead vocal on
the Telstar compilation album "Get on This 2", which sold over
100,000 copies, going to number 2 in the UK album charts.
Following a powerful mystical death experience in 2007, the spiritual
realisation inspired him to write his first book "We Are All One: A call
to spiritual uprising". Written in just six days, the critically acclaimed
work was the WINNER of the 2009 Allbooks International Editor’s Choice Award
(USA) in the Spirituality & Inspiration category.
By January 2009 he accepted an invitation to teach alongside Barbara
Marx-Hubbard, Esther Hicks, Steve and Barbara Rother and others on the
international seminar series ‘Intimate conversations with Masters and
Mystics' hosted by Linda L. Pannell.
Jonathan’s second book ‘NAKED BEING: Undressing Your Mind, Transforming Your
Life’ – was published by O books on the 28th May 2010. Further kudos followed
when it was honoured as a Best Books Award Finalist 2010 (USA Book News) in the
genre of Spirituality.
During a vacation in France in 2013, Jonathan wrote his first novel THE SOUL
WHISPERER. The novel is a cross-genre mix of fact and fiction, blended with
the many experiences and phenomena that have taken place in the author’s life.
The completed manuscript caught the imagination of international publishers,
and a deal was struck with Roundfire Books in June 2015.
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